Robert Phillips, (left), a custodian and groundskeeper for Southampton schools, was joined by Burlington County Insurance Pool Joint Insurance Fund safety director John Geitz as he received the organization’s safety award.
It’s an award that is “well deserved.”
Robert Phillips, custodian/groundskeeper with the Southampton Township Board of Education, received the Safety Star of the Year Award from the Burlington County Insurance Pool Joint Insurance Fund during its dinner on Dec. 4.
“He consistently goes above and beyond to maintain the school district’s grounds and athletic fields,” the award states. “His commitment to excellence ensures that any concerns are promptly addressed, and the safety of the students is his top priority.”
The Southampton district is a pre-K to 8 school system with three buildings on one campus in the center of quaint and historic Vincentown Village. The district recognized Phillip’s award on its social media page.
“Mr. Phillips is a valued custodian/groundskeeper in Southampton and this award was well deserved,” it noted. “Thank you for keeping staff and students safe.”
The post received a number of comments, including “Mr. Rob is the best! Well deserved!”
The Burlington County Insurance Pool Joint Insurance Fund celebrates member school district successes at its annual dinner every year. The event is organized to reward and recognize the efforts of districts that actively participate in risk management programs to provide a safe and healthy environment for students, staff and their communities.
Phillips was among two individuals and school districts as a whole to receive recognition plaques and monetary awards. The other Safety Star of the Year Award went to Sandy Marlys, a school nurse in Magnolia who created multiple initiatives to promote physical health and safety in her district. They include implementing lifesaving classes for CPR/AED/Epi-pen training to help staff and students foster a culture of preparedness and safety.
The Audubon school district, the Delanco Township Board of Education, Collingswood and Ewing public schools and Northern Burlington County Regional School District were recognized as Safety Districts of the Year, each earning an additional $2,500 reward. In all, 43-member school districts in Burlington, Camden, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties were recognized and received awards totaling $166,500.
The fund celebrated 40 years at its dinner. All seven original districts in 1984 are still members today, including Burlington City; Lenape; Medford Lakes; Moorestown; Riverside; Springfield; and Tabernacle, according to a presentation made at the event.
The return on investment among the original districts totals $6.85 million. The mission of the fund is to reduce the cost of insurance by building programs to help districts avoid claims. Every dollar not spent on claims means more money for education.
